Dan LeBatard (1:12)

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Stugotz (1:13)

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Dan LeBatard (1:16)

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Mike Ryan (1:21)

We did it. Joe Dance video influenced NBA basketball narratives. They bought it hook, line and sinker. You know who else who bought it? Heat fans. Oh yeah, they are dumb. I got it shared in group chats by some of the biggest heat marks you'd ever find. But what was really great was getting it in group chats from people who are not eat fans who were roasting Dan. Did they not see Dan break? I think nobody actually watches video. That's true. And they just looked at the pull quote. He looks so fat. Which is why we had that pull quote. Yeah, it was an unfortunate angle for him. Yeah, not good. He looked really bad and so did his quote unquote reporting that. By the way, Barry Jackson also took as fact. Dan confirms our reporting. It was incredible to the original point about the heat marks ran with him. I just can't believe anybody watched that video and thought that those were Dan's words. But it immediately changed the national narrative too. Given the reaction to it. I now think it's possible to trick people into thinking KHALIL Ware is good. It's crazy to think that not but two hours after Dan said that and we put it out on social media that Brian Windhorst started saying, well, the warriors package isn't very good and hey, that Heat package might be better then the warriors and actually somewhat feasible. And now as of this morning, it seems like he's saying, well, I think he'll stay with the Bucks, but if not, it's the Heat. Coward. Something better happen today. Discreet Coward. Something better happen or I'm gonna lose my freaking mind.

Dan LeBatard (3:26)

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.

Stugotz (3:35)

Zaslo. I'm super frustrated, okay? Because I have not done the things that I have tried to do over the course of a career that is painfully long to have this portion of my career be me as an old man chasing people off my lawn because of the way you guys are bleeping with me. All right, you know, I don't want to do radio row most years, so you tricked me to doing trade stuff this. This week you to do trade deadline stuff. When I've said for years the only thing that happens at the trade deadline is George Hill gets traded. Now you guys are all excited about Giannis. And so we're doing extra show today, a lot of extra show today. We're going to do a live stream after the show around the trade deadline. And the only reason we're doing it is so you could see our reaction to did they get Giannis or did they not get Giannis? But I think we're just going to be sitting there for two hours because I think before that the whole thing's going to fall apart because of you seen Wind Horses reporting he's now gone from 5,149 to 6,040. He's not going to be traded.

Dan LeBatard (4:37)

Wow.

Zaslow (4:37)

He's moved the number 9% move the last 24 hours.

Stugotz (4:40)

Wendy is on get up every day they're working him to death. Put it on the poll at LeBatard show as ESPN trying to kill Wendy.

Dan LeBatard (4:47)

Why do you always pull George Hill? I mean, Jimmy Butler was traded at the deadline last year. Like, there are so many superstars that move at the deadline.

Mike Ryan (4:54)

But he's right.

Dan LeBatard (4:54)

Going back to George Hill.

Mike Ryan (4:56)

George Hill was always the piece of a championship team that needed to make a move.

Dan LeBatard (4:59)

It is always Dennis. It's a fallacy. Dan makes every trade deadline about the George Hill acquisition. When that was on an outlier.

Stugotz (5:08)

I have allowed you guys to take super bowl week and turn it into trade Deadline week. It's on me. I'm bad at sending boundaries around here, but as I complained to you guys about. I'm tired of being the old guy chasing kids out of my yard. I. I'm explaining to everybody I'm playing whack a mole, using a phrase that an old man would use that young people don't understand to describe how it is you guys make me feel. Because I can never hit everybody because something else pops up. The thing you guys did to me yesterday, making me look that fat with your eye distortions on my lower body. The thing that. The thing that you guys did yesterday to me while I. I was in a poorly acted hostage situation reading words that Jeremy wanted me to read about the heat. What are you shaking your head?

Mike Ryan (6:01)

I don't know what you're talking about.

Zaslow (6:02)

It couldn't have been that poor because it did the job. I think we accomplished what we wanted yesterday. That's not poor.

Dan LeBatard (6:08)

Well, you accomplished. It's actually frightening how easy it is to shift the national narrative. All it took was you carry. Which honestly pisses me off about the Miami CFP thing, but we'll leave that for another day. You look good there.

Stugotz (6:22)

You guys distorted that to make me look like that. I do not look like that. You guys, you got. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Zaslow (6:31)

What happened?

Stugotz (6:34)

All right, so just to explain to everybody exactly how this got.

Zaslow (6:40)

No, no joke. You look like Fat Bastard.

Stugotz (6:48)

Explained. Come on, guys. You can't. You can't keep expanding this. The audio audience.

Mike Ryan (6:53)

Dan keeps getting fatter.

Stugotz (6:56)

That's the one I remember.

Mike Ryan (6:58)

That's the one I remember the original.

Dan LeBatard (6:59)

The Mangino. Abby has competition.

Stugotz (7:03)

All right, so. So just explain to people what it is that happened with anybody picking up the nonsense of yesterday. Now, the starting point. Zaslow on this is I'm in another room and I'm acting very poorly. I'm acting very poorly under. As if I'm doing something under duress and against my will. But I want it to be believable enough that it gets picked up. And I don't believe I executed that. I don't believe what I gave you guys with your distortions making me that fat. I don't believe that what I gave you guys was usable. What do you mean it worked? What do you mean? What do you mean it got picked up? It was terrible.

Dan LeBatard (7:44)

Jackson ran with it as fact.

Zaslow (7:46)

The media ran. Ran with the words that came out of that picture.

Dan LeBatard (7:49)

You didn't run. They ran though my stomach.

Mike Ryan (7:54)

Crazy.

Stugotz (7:55)

You're laughing. All right, I'm sorry to do this to the audio audience. But I'm promising you, if you're not on YouTube right now, this is worth it to see how it is that they've used these distortions to inflate me and make me even more insecure about my weight than I already am. And I'm plenty insecure about it, the way it stands. But the way your back hurts from laughing, Chris.

Mike Ryan (8:19)

Your head is still the same.

Stugotz (8:22)

So it's my head. My head is the same size. The thing the rest of me keeps complaining. And that looks totally realistic is the part that's infuriating about it, is how realistic that looks.

Mike Ryan (8:31)

You look like Brendan Fraser in the Whale.

Stugotz (8:34)

No, you got. You got me as Fat Bastard. It looks like Fat Bastard. You got me. And the body shaming's out of control. And you guys don't believe that we're going to be waiting today because we're doing a live stream after the show for two hours. You. You don't think we're just going to be sitting around fooling around? You think we're going to be announcing a Yanis trade within the trade deadlines at 3 o'? Clock? You guys think this is. This is what Wendy is saying on get up this morning?

Zaslow (8:56)

Ok, tell you what, if we don't get a Yanis Trade 301, I'm out of here.

Dan LeBatard (9:00)

Yeah, read the wind horse report, but I'd handicap the chances of giannis at like 40% given what happened with Golden State. That's pretty good. But something better happen. If it's not Giannis, it better be. Ja. This is a legacy day for Pat Riley.

Stugotz (9:17)

Really.

Dan LeBatard (9:17)

He needs to do something.

Stugotz (9:19)

Really.

Dan LeBatard (9:20)

Something needs to be done.

Stugotz (9:21)

Really. Put it on the poll at Le Batard show. Is this a legacy day for Pat Riley? I got to think if there's a legacy that secure, it would be that one. But I just saw Bill Belichick not get put in the hall of Fame, so what do I know?

Mike Ryan (9:32)

I don't want to make it about us, but you can't do what Riley did the other night with Jeremy and I about I got Ellisberg going after Wales and then not.

Stugotz (9:40)

Wait a minute. But he's been doing that for years.

Mike Ryan (9:42)

I'm just saying, like on the week of the trade deadline, coming out and being like, I got my guy going after him.

Dan LeBatard (9:48)

When Pat Riley arrived to the Miami Heat, he changed the organization by making a big time superstar acquisition. He traded Glenn Rice and he brought along.

Zaslow (9:54)

So morning, November 3, 1995.

Dan LeBatard (9:57)

And then every, every single build around the Core was centered around, let's acquire a superstar. And sometimes I got it in the draft, which was rare because they were never in the lottery. But it would be, let's go out and get Shaqed. Let's go out and get LeBron. Let's build for three years to get LeBron. And this is. It's not a small amount of years anymore. It's been five years where that's always been the plan. Let me get somebody next to Jimmy Butler that's better than Jimmy Butler. It's obvious to everyone. And he struck out, and he struck out and struck out.

Zaslow (10:27)

Well, not just striking out. It's that he hit. They didn't go all in because they've been waiting for, like, someone like this.

Dan LeBatard (10:32)

And he got passed by other teams in his conference that were more aggressive.

Stugotz (10:35)

You got it as striking out. And the place that I would just slow you a little bit on, because they did make two Finals appearances, and one of the strikeouts was Bradley Beal, and one of the strikeouts was Dame Lillard. And those would have been disasters. Okay? In retrospect, disasters, both of them, if you get the Beal contract. Because when people are excited about the Beale contract, like you say, striking out, you're not wrong. One of the big ones is obviously Kevin Durant. The Rockets are formidable, at least in part because they were formidable last year. Now, they've added the kind of guy that you would want to have. But strikeout, I would say, is a little strong. When you've had a couple of finals appearances in five years, you got Jimmy Butler when you didn't have the ability to get much of anything right. You got out from Hasan Whiteside and Deion Waiters and ended up with Jimmy Butler when you didn't have anything to offer. But since then, we've been saying the player has to be better than Jimmy Butler. Now, what we've seen since is the consensus of, ah, Bam's a number two. He's forever a number two. Useful. Not good enough, not consistent enough, not aggressive enough, not big enough. Whatever it is, Bam's not a number one. You went as far as you could with Jimmy Butler. Now, the idea is, can you put someone next to Bam better than Jimmy Butler because you failed to get anyone for Jimmy Butler. But here's what Windhorse says on get up this morning. I've been at 51, 49 against a trade against Giannis being traded. Not against it personally, but against thinking there will be a trade. I'm now at 60, 40. Minnesota is still out there, but I'll be honest with you, I don't think Minnesota offers was as good as Golden State and if Golden State's offer wasn't good enough, I don't think Minnesota's is realistic. That leaves Miami. Miami is making a player and semi draft pick offer. It's a decent offer. But unless there's a secret thing going on, I'm not feeling Giannis moving right now. Well, of course there might be a secret thing going on because the Miami Heat do not leak any of this stuff and none of this information ever comes from the Miami Heat.

Zaslow (12:36)

Just telling you dan, nothing happens. 3:01pm Peace out.

Stugotz (12:41)

Okay, but we are going to be here doing a livestream and preparing for a livestream and I believe that there are a lot of fart noises around the trade deadline and that most years we get very excited and then because of our expectations we end up getting some form of disappointed. Especially here in Miami over the last five years.

Dan LeBatard (12:59)

I think if you're the audience, you're rooting for an uneventful NBA trade deadline for the Miami Heat because they're going to be fireworks either way.

Mike Ryan (13:06)

You want zaz mad at 3pm so you can get him.

Dan LeBatard (13:09)

They will get skewered. Rightfully so if another opportunity to land a superstar, and I'm even including John Morant in this discussion, even though he's having a bad season, you'd be okay.

Zaslow (13:20)

With Morant as compilation.

Dan LeBatard (13:22)

Yes, do.

Mike Ryan (13:22)

But why hold on Mike? Why?

Dan LeBatard (13:24)

Why give me hope? Because this is a franchise as I outlined previously, that has always been built around a superstar and that is the only way this franchise gets anywhere really is putting it on one superstars back and building around him. We don't have that superstar right now. We haven't had one for a while ever since Jimmy broke down. We need to get back to relevance. This is a global brand that is always centered around a superstar. The Miami Heat can't just get back into the Eastern Conference today. They can get back into the basketball conversation. This is the most irrelevant this franchise has been in a long time and they made two finals in this decade.

Mike Ryan (14:02)

Mike, what if I told you that the instant gratification of Ja Morant would cost you the summertime of getting Giannis?

Dan LeBatard (14:09)

I don't think it does because there's just more assets that build up. That's why the argument for Giannis staying in Minnesota and I can't believe he's let it get to this point. Giannis needs to put out a statement like yesterday to force his hand to force Milwaukee's hand because it's ridiculous. But they're just sitting pretty thinking that they'll get better offers in June.

Zaslow (14:28)

But you don't know what Giannis is telling Milwaukee behind the scenes. Like Giannis clearly does not want to come out and be the bad guy and say things in public like internal pressure is different.

Dan LeBatard (14:36)

Yeah, but that's different than public pressure.

Zaslow (14:38)

Yeah, but don't you also get the impression like whether or not he gets moved right now or in the summer, like Milwaukee's going to move on from him because it really is in Milwaukee's best interest, right, to move on from.

Mike Ryan (14:48)

What are they going to do?

Dan LeBatard (14:48)

They're going to tell a 31 year old superstar you can't play for the rest of the season because that's why.

Zaslow (14:52)

They need to do it now.

Dan LeBatard (14:53)

They have an opportunity at a lottery pick right now.

Zaslow (14:56)

That's why they need to do it now. Like you can't have it both ways. Where you want to tank the rest of the season because want your pick to be a high pick in a very loaded draft but then also not trade Giannis and he's going to want to play but then you're going to tell him we don't want you to play. Well then trade him.

Stugotz (15:12)

This is wrong what you guys are doing to me on the screen. I don't. I this is unfair.

Mike Ryan (15:16)

What's wrong about it?

Stugotz (15:17)

Unjust. It's disinformation. Like Aronofsky in the information age.

Mike Ryan (15:23)

I will say like the the conversation has constantly been okay, there are all these teams that will have more picks that are unlocked to be able to offer or there will be more teams with space that they can offer in the off season. But if Giannis is on the floor final year of a deal and can also have more influence over the bucks of where he goes, what's saying you are going to land a better offer this offseason from anybody because what leverage do you really have right now? You can add Giannis to a franchise that at the very least gets him through the rest of this season and next year or one that can extend him soon as opposed to having to worry about doing it next year.

Dan LeBatard (16:06)

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Stugotz (18:46)

Don LeBatard. Teammates can't shoot from three now. They're gonna see a different Jimmy now. He's just. Just playing nickel back in the locker room. And stugats now play D and show threes as they chase the nets for the six seed. These five words in his head scream my way winning games.

Zaslow (19:11)

Yeah, this is the Dan Levata with the Stugach.

Stugotz (19:18)

When Mike Ryan spells ja and I hear it as ya, and he's feeling both things, right? He's feeling ya with Pat Riley, ya with the Heat in Spanish, ya. The Latin temper of ya, ya, ya. Just get me ja. And when I see ja in the discount bin, so much so that they're talking about Sacramento, Sacramento being like, I can't believe Anthony Davis, one of the top 75 players, ever ends up getting traded the way that he does yesterday. And so Dallas really botches that and gets next to nothing for Luca. The kind of superstar that Mike is demanding having. The kind of superstar that only got to a Finals the way that Jimmy Butler did twice in Miami, only got there once with Luka. Ad gets trade traded yesterday to another way station like Sacramento Wizards. The Wizards in Sacramento only exist to be a place that just gathers names because you've got to meet a low maximum ceiling in the NBA of people you're paying, even if you're intent on being terrible.

Dan LeBatard (20:24)

I think the Wizards could be frisky. Maybe not this year, but they have young pieces like that. That's a playoff team, and it feels like they've been rebuilding. No, no, no. Next season. Next season. You don't think so?

Stugotz (20:35)

No.

Dan LeBatard (20:35)

You don't think so? With their young pieces and adding Anthony Davis, like, I know.

Stugotz (20:39)

No, he's got. I know these guys got to play. He's got to play.

Dan LeBatard (20:43)

But if Anthony Davis and Trey Younger on the court, around that young core like they're in the playoff conversation, there's no this.

Stugotz (20:49)

I say Atlanta was in the playoffs. Lots of doubt. Mike. Mike, lots of doubt. There are a couple of teams. Sacramento as an example, okay? If people want to say that Sacramento's got anything whatsoever, I think Sacramento's got three road wins this year, and Washington is. Is Trul. Terrible. And you can sing about their young players if you want, but Anthony Davis in this condition is a piece that has so little value that it moves for next to nothing and ends up on the Wizards roster because they couldn't get much of anything. Mike, what are you shaking your head about?

Dan LeBatard (21:20)

It wasn't. It wasn't nothing like there. There were some decent pieces in there. Yeah, there was some bad contracts to make the salary match up, but I don't. Okay, we'll revisit next year when they're in the. When they're battling with the Miami Heat for the play. And if the Miami Heat strike out again, they got good young pieces.

Mike Ryan (21:36)

I love this take from Mike. I think it's actually really sharp because. And I know he doesn't watch basketball like that, and he's starting to come around now, now that it's closer to the playoffs.

Dan LeBatard (21:43)

But I know Keyshawn George pretty well.

Mike Ryan (21:45)

On top of that. Trae Young, Anthony Davis players with question marks but obviously have upside. But what Will Dawkins is doing. He just spent 15 years over in Oklahoma City bringing a lot of what they're doing over to Washington. Like, the foundation is set for Washington to be a good franchise with a lot of little moves that they've made. So I really actually like this take.

Stugotz (22:02)

The reason that I don't like the take is because I've been Wash Washington the entirety of my life, and it's always been a nowhere franchise. And it takes a lot, even if you get the guy who was next to the guy to make it not a nowhere franchise. And it especially hard when Anthony Davis is what you're counting on in any circumstances to give you playing time.

Zaslow (22:23)

In the last calendar year, Anthony Davis has played 29 games.

Dan LeBatard (22:27)

Cool. We'll table this decision.

Zaslow (22:29)

It's actually not cool.

Dan LeBatard (22:30)

But a year from now, I'm gonna go off on you guys.

Stugotz (22:33)

Okay, that's fine.

Dan LeBatard (22:36)

Set it on the Google calendar.

Stugotz (22:37)

Yeah. Put it on the. Put it on the record.

Dan LeBatard (22:39)

And also I will get my vengeance.

Stugotz (22:41)

Also put it on the record that at 3pm today, the heat will trade for George Hill. And I will leave here mad at you guys because you put me in another situation where you start hyperventilating, hyperventilating about all the things that are gonna happen at the trade deadline.

Dan LeBatard (22:56)

This is. This is a huge day in franchise history. Yep. If nothing happens, then even more credence to. No. This is actually part of his legacy because towards the end, he wasn't able to recapture that magic. Now, I'm not gonna pooh John Moran if they do something aggressive and get Giannis. That's a. That's the pie in the sky scenario. Right. But I don't think it's a bad consolation prize to get John Morant. I really don't. I'm a huge John Morant fan. I still believe in Him. I know he hasn't been good. I know it's a weird culture fit, but I think if not here, where I believe in that guy's talent, well, I think his ceiling is really high for this franchise.

Zaslow (23:32)

It's a great consolation prize because we're expecting they would be able to get him for like, nothing. Right? Like, that's why it's a good consolation prize. Right.

Dan LeBatard (23:40)

You can't spend on them.

Mike Ryan (23:41)

Like, you can't send good players over. They get job. What you would be sending, like to get Ja, if that deal happens is Terry Rozier and Simone Fontechio. The question becomes, is there any sort of draft compensation? Like, would the Heat have to attach a pick or maybe a couple of second round picks like that? That really, I imagine is the sticking point.

Zaslow (24:00)

I'll give you Dolia.

Stugotz (24:01)

I was so mad the other day because they wasted the Fontechio game. He had like seven threes or in a game and they lost the game anyway because they just threw it away. Zaz just said something here. I think it happens. And I'm beginning to feel like Zaz's words don't mean anything because, Mike, we were the other day he texted us, Minnesota made a tiny trade and he said it's over. Minnesota's get.

Zaslow (24:26)

I'm very reactive.

Stugotz (24:27)

No, well, but this is the thing, I don't. And you're also very hopeful. And you got as much homer in you as anyone who's ever been around here. Like you, you are a fan at your core. You get emotional, you swing wildly on these things. And so at 301, you have to understand the reason we're doing this trade deadline show is only so you can see our reaction either way. At 3 o', clock, are they crushed because another season got away? Because this is the thing that's happening, right? I find this part fascinating. Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Giannis, pieces that have body issues. In a league that has more body issues than it's ever had, you're counting on injured things. We just talked about Damian Lillard. Swung and missed. Everybody got mad. Now you're happy. They swung and missed. Bradley Beal, some people wanted him, some didn't. But injuries all over this league are a problem. You can't count on Anthony Davis. And I wouldn't blame anybody if they said you can't count on Giannis either. Because the way the sport is happening, it's testing tendons and tissues in a way that's not normal. The way that they're just spreading the court and making these Guys go out for miles. And the way he specifically plays is really physical. So you're. I know it feels like you're immediately saying, if I add Giannis to bam, I can win the east. But it ignores a couple of things. One thing it ignores is Detroit's really good. Not a little bit good. They're really good. They did the hardship thing last year. They barely lost the Knicks. They will not lose to the Knicks again. Detroit is really good. The other thing that's happening, and this is where Heat fans deserve to be most frustrated, the other thing that happened is the Celtics are really good and they're really good without Tatum. They just went into Houston and dragged Houston because the Celtics are playing unbelievably well. And at the trade deadline, before making the seismic move, they did all the money stuff you need to do to fix the salary cap stuff. It hurt. They didn't want to get rid of Simmons, Anthony Simons. Excuse me. They didn't.

Zaslow (26:30)

They got a good player.

Dan LeBatard (26:31)

They did.

Stugotz (26:31)

They got a good player.

Dan LeBatard (26:32)

They traded one Heat killer for another.

Stugotz (26:34)

They got a good offensive player. They got a bad defensive player, but they improved. The Celtics have gotten better.

Dan LeBatard (26:39)

Yes, Everybody's gotten better on their watch. Yeah, I know. The Lillard thing. Maybe I have a take on the Lillard thing. Like there was a lot of stuff going on in Damian Lillard's personal life and he went to a city he didn't really want to go to and he showed up out of shape because of everything that was going on. I do think it might have worked out different down here, but let's play the result out there. The fact remains that whether they've gotten lucky by swinging and missing or they've really missed out and other teams have improved. And we're not just talking about the big superstar trades. We're talking about keeping our powder dry and not chasing Pascal Siakam, who would make a difference. OG Anunoby, who would make a difference. Because we kept doing what we always done under Pat Riley, which is, let's go whale hunting. The time is now. Giannis is not a player that's going to be good at 36, 37. And he needs to realize that too, as he's looking down a summer vacation in Greece. You're 31 years old without a jumper, and what you bring to the table is unbelievable physical gifts. You need to capitalize on that window right. Right now when he talks about the.

Stugotz (27:43)

Right now of this. Okay. Because super interesting to me what's going on at Golden State. Cuz they need to get Steph the piece right now, even though I think it's fairly obvious to everybody everyone in the league is miles behind okc. Even if OKC struggles. San Antonio may feel differently, but everyone else in the league feels miles behind okc, Detroit included. And so you find yourself in a position where you're hopeful because all you've got to do is get past the East. But the last two times Jimmy Butler took them back past the east, they run into the Buzzsaw in the finals and Mike is still yelling and screaming because two finals appearances in five years isn't enough. Even if you're max out on overachievement on Jimmy Butler can get you to Jokic and he can get you to LeBron, but he's not as good as Jokic and he's not as good as LeBron. Or he's not as good as Anthony Davis and LeBron, though they were close to being as good.

Dan LeBatard (28:44)

Jimmy was probably better than LeBron in those finals. Like the first one. Bam got hurt, missed a couple games in that series. Goran got hurt like that wasn't Miami's best shot and they still took him to six.

Mike Ryan (28:56)

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Dan LeBatard (29:49)

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Stugotz (30:03)

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Dan LeBatard (30:05)

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Stugotz (30:11)

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Mike Ryan (30:12)

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Dan LeBatard (30:15)

Homedepot.Com how doers get more done Don.

Zaslow (30:19)

LeBatard all these high paid analysts, I.

Stugotz (30:22)

Don'T want to mention names. Tnt, espm, you know. Oh yeah, they are dead. They cannot. They're not going to make it.

Dan LeBatard (30:32)

You know, even if they win in.

Stugotz (30:35)

If they lose in Miami. I need to calm you down. I need to calm down. That's right.

Dan LeBatard (30:38)

They lose in Miami, they don't got.

Stugotz (30:40)

A chance in Boston or they are going to have their, you know what.

Dan LeBatard (30:43)

In Boston, you know, stugats.

Stugotz (30:45)

They were wrong.

Zaslow (30:46)

They were.

Stugotz (30:46)

Are they going to lose their job?

Zaslow (30:48)

No. Are they going to get a cousin pay? No.

Stugotz (30:50)

What are they going to do?

Zaslow (30:51)

Keep predicting.

Stugotz (30:52)

What is the obvious.

Zaslow (30:53)

They are going to say, oh, the Nuggets are going to win. Oh, Denver, the altitude and you know what?

Stugotz (30:58)

The Heat are going to win it all.

Zaslow (31:00)

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

Stugotz (31:08)

The thing though, that I find myself wondering about as you guys watch all of this play out is it presumes an awful lot to presume that Giannis will be healthy and give you the hope that you can then get past Detroit. But the best hope, the best hope that the Miami Heat have is that Pat Riley, I'm not killing him, but toward the end of his life and the end of his career, what has to be the closest to the end of a man who still doesn't talk to Matt, to Michael Jordan and Larry Bird when he's in a room with them because of what the scars of competing did to him. He doesn't want to leave the game, but he's got a very small window. And when you talk about Giannis and the injuries, Giannis, too, can't give away another half season. Like he doesn't want to sit there healthy for the rest of this season playing with Kyle Kuzma and Miles Turner and. And. And a bunch of MILW players who are miles away from Jrue Holiday and what Chris Middleton and Brook Lopez did for him.

Dan LeBatard (32:16)

Get off your ass and send a tweet right now. Like the window is shrinking on this guy. Why is there no urgency? Because.

Stugotz (32:25)

Because he doesn't want to make the public mess, Mike.

Mike Ryan (32:27)

What?

Dan LeBatard (32:28)

You don't want the public mess more than another title? What are we doing?

Stugotz (32:32)

31? I'm telling you that he does not want this. This. He's made clear. Has he not made this clear. He does not want another title more than he wants a good relationship with Milwaukee. He's made it clear. How much more clear do you want him to make it? He's made less clear. Less clear. He's made it obvious that he'd prefer to try and keep the relationship with Milwaukee, then do what he has to do to try and get out so he can get closer to a championship the second half of this season.

Mike Ryan (33:00)

You know who gets what he wants? James Harden. James Harden gets what he wants. He's had seven trades in his life.

Zaslow (33:06)

Why?

Mike Ryan (33:06)

Because he says, hey, I wanna move. Hey, I wanna do this. Hey, I wanna do that. And he gets whatever he wants.

Stugotz (33:10)

But you guys killed him the last couple of days, and everybody killed him.

Mike Ryan (33:14)

Cause he's not my guy. And he's done it seven times. Like, we give you one or two.

Dan LeBatard (33:19)

Kevin Durant also gets his way. Right. And he does it differently.

Stugotz (33:23)

Yeah, but he's ruined the way the Optics career should look because he's gotten what he, quote, unquote, wants. This is the thing. This is. I mean, man, my brother talked about this a lot. The genie's curse. May you get everything in life you wish for. Kevin Durant has gotten the things that he wants, but he doesn't act like it because it hasn't felt like he's getting the things that he wants. Because it's never met with applause. Like, whatever Kevin Durant's been doing the last. I thought Witty had a great take, like, four teams ago, when he's like, the choices Kevin Durant has made are the worst possible ones he could have made for whatever the optics of his career would have been. If we run it back and allow him to make all the choices again, he would have been regarded forever with applause in a way he's not. You cannot tell me, Mike, that it does not sting human beings, no matter how immortal you think they are, especially the ones that are online as much as these guys are, that it doesn't sting. These human beings who kind of got into the life with the idea of, well, I'm gonna be in stadiums and everyone's going to cheer me, and the only people are booing are because they hate me, because I'm too good, right? To do things that they think are going to merit applause. And then they're villains or they're bad, and then Kevin Durant's getting mad at the media for misrepresenting him or what they're human beings inside of this. The reason Shaq's mad at me and wants to kill me is because I simply said he's awfully sensitive under the circumstances, given that he's Shaq. That's why he's mad at me. He doesn't have another reason. He's reacted to me saying he's too sensitive by being too sensitive and holding a grudge for years where wants to kill me and he's Shaq and she's Shaq. You think Kevin Durant and Giannis and James Harden might not be a little weaker? Like, wherever it is, the confidence resides here, where you expect all the applause?

Dan LeBatard (35:13)

Actually, no, I don't think they're weaker. I think Kevin Durant is actually pretty strong mentally. Yeah. There are things that leak out on social media, but I never question his care for the game.

Stugotz (35:23)

No, no. But I just mean weaker when it comes to applause. The need for validation, like, we all need it.

Dan LeBatard (35:31)

Yeah.

Stugotz (35:31)

And I think people think superstars don't need it. And what I'm telling you is they're the most popular guys in high school, but they need it, too. And when you take it away, when you take away something as simple as popularity and make them slightly unpopular, how did LeBron deal with that at the beginning when he didn't think that's how that was gonna go for him? Here? He got used to it over time. Durant has gotten used to it over time. Giannis has never experienced any of that.

Dan LeBatard (35:56)

And there are times that it works out. Like, the end of Rasheed Wallace's tenure in Portland was bad. He ends up getting moved to Atlanta and then moved to Detroit, and now he's remembered forevermore as a Piston champion.

Stugotz (36:07)

Rasheed Wallace is the example you're giving me on caring about what people think.

Dan LeBatard (36:11)

I'm saying about, like, the superstars that make it ugly near the deadline. Like, Gordon Dragic got hurt in an NBA Finals. Even he made it ugly to get to Miami. And it's a footnote on his career. In fact, we're probably the only ones that even remember it. There are times that these big bets for just a little minor headache where everyone's mad at you for maybe a week or so. Like, it pays off.

Mike Ryan (36:32)

Yeah. I mean, Giannis is also in a good spot with the Milwaukee fan base. Like, I think at this point, if he said, like, I'd rather do this now than the summer, please send me to Minnesota or Miami. Their fan base, like you, you can see the reaction online. They're not mad about this at this point. They understand there's nothing built around him. They're Ready to reset. He's been nothing but wonderful to the city. And if this is a legacy play, when's the next time Giannis is going to be in Milwaukee? Once he's retired, he's never going to go back. They're going to put a statue outside for two seconds. Okay, great. I'll see you guys later.

Dan LeBatard (37:01)

He doesn't even live there now.

Zaslow (37:03)

You guys don't like. I know you're saying that Giannis should make more of a mess to really force Milwaukee's hand. You don't see Golden State bowing out last night as more evidence that this thing is going to happen. It's going to happen. And Golden State has essentially been told, we're not taking your offer. You can move on here. Like Milwaukee's going to do this.

Dan LeBatard (37:22)

Can't you interpret it as if it's not going to happen, this deadline?

Zaslow (37:26)

But then. But then why aren't the other teams also bowing out? Miami like Minnesota. Like, for me, that last night meant that Golden State was told.

Stugotz (37:34)

You're saying. You're saying that. Is Kaminga being traded?

Zaslow (37:37)

Yes. Yes. Very similar to New York. How. Remember James Dolan a few days ago came out. It's like, I like our team. We're a championship team. We're not going to make any moves. No. New York was told, yeah, we're not taking your offer. And last night, Golden State was also told, we're not taking your offer. And that's why Kamingo was sent to Atlanta for a Porzingis with. I mean, Porzingis.

Mike Ryan (37:54)

Can we have a conversation about Pozingas.

Zaslow (37:56)

Played seven games this year. My God, what's up with Golden State? I mean, you sit Kaminga for the entire season, and for what? That's what you get. You get Porzingis and his mystery illness. I hope he's okay. But still.

Stugotz (38:06)

Are you pronouncing that differently? And that sounded totally insincere. I hope he's okay. Can you please. I say it Porzingis. I don't say it porging.

Zaslow (38:14)

I say it the right way.

Stugotz (38:15)

Okay? I.

Dan LeBatard (38:16)

What do you know?

Stugotz (38:16)

I actually believe that he's saying it correctly and I'm saying it wrong. I put it on the poll. Please, Juju Porzingis or poor Zingus. Tony, when we say mystery illness and we skip past it. Can you please just look. Read for me. Just please go look up for me the details of the mystery illness. When Zaslow says, quite insincerely, I care so much about him being well, but he doesn't actually care Because I remember when this last made an appearance for me was Lu Al Dang had some trouble with. He was leaking spinal fluid. It seemed really horrible. And he was still trying to play and people were like, I hope he's okay. And I think they weren't really sort of examining what might be happening there. I don't actually know.

Dan LeBatard (39:06)

It's clear you don't actually know what the Internet says about it. You do not want to send Tony on an Internet wild goosebumps. No, don't do it.

Zaslow (39:13)

I know the Internet says.

Dan LeBatard (39:14)

Yeah, there's. He's got. There's Internet theories about it and we'll leave it at that. You're very clearly not clued.

Stugotz (39:20)

I do not know what any of the Internet theories are. I just am saying whenever it is I hear the phrase mystery illness spoken by someone who doesn't have a mystery illness, they're generally underestimating whatever it is is happening over where the mystery illness is. And so while you can rip Porzingis, the Golden State warriors did send Kaminga to Atlanta. And it does appear that our trade deadline show is just going to be. Well, is it going to be Miami for Giannis or is it just going to be fart noise? Giannis stays in Milwaukee for the second half of the season where they have 18 wins and he's not going to play a relevant game the rest of this season. Not one relevant game. Will Giannis play for him, his career, his legacy the rest of the season? He will be. He will be running around with no discernible purpose for the next half of a season because they've got no chance to do anything other than lose. So he'd be legitimately wasting his time.

Zaslow (40:24)

If Milwaukee hasn't made a decision, why would Golden State just bow out last night? They bowed out. There's a reason why they bowed out.

Dan LeBatard (40:32)

Yeah, there has to be. I just.

Stugotz (40:33)

Well, but wait a minute.

Dan LeBatard (40:34)

I'm assuming.

Stugotz (40:35)

He said, he says, he says, why did they bow out last night? Because they traded Kaminga. And he's not allowing for the idea that Milwaukee's like, we don't want Kaminga, like whatever your offer is, it's not with Kaminga. We don't want Kaminga.

Dan LeBatard (40:48)

But that time ties to what he's saying. Like if they don't want Kaminga, but.

Stugotz (40:52)

They still, they still have the draft picks and there are three way trades that you can make. All these teams are looking for another partner. Anyone who's really interested in making a move today is looking for other partners.

Dan LeBatard (41:04)

They don't want Kaminga.

Zaslow (41:04)

No, but exactly.

Stugotz (41:06)

Don Levy told you that Dunleavy told you nobody wants.

Zaslow (41:09)

Right, but. But you're exactly right what you're saying. So if that's the case because yes, there are other moves we have made, I'm going to bring in this team, I'm going to get this pick, this extra pick. Why would Golden State knowing that what you're saying is right, why would Golden State bow out again?

Stugotz (41:23)

You've making it bowed out when I don't know who wants Draymond. I don't know what Draymond brings you back. I don't know what Milwaukee has told Golden State that they want. I don't know. I know Golden State, it's seen as Kaminga is the best offer. But I would also assume that we never actually know what all the facts are because we're very often surprised by what happened with these 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 team trades.

Mike Ryan (41:50)

Golden State just didn't have the trump card that anybody wanted which was a blue chip prospect. Kaminga's not seen as that across the league. So when you have, hey, we've got Kaminga and we've got Buddy Hield and we've got Draymond Green who's 37 years old, what do you think Milwaukee and be like, no, you can have, you can give us 8,000 picks, it doesn't matter because what we want you do not have. Buddy Hield is owed $10 million each of the next two years. By moving him and Kaminga and bringing back Porzingis, who's expiring as a contract contract, it gives them a little more flexibility in the off season with then Draymond is an expiring contract next year I believe. So what, what that does is it says okay, we're not going to get Giannis now Milwaukee has told us we cannot get Giannis right now. We would rather have either Miami's offer, which they're going to try to increase, or see what Minnesota can do. But you're not going to be able to do this. Golden State.

Dan LeBatard (42:41)

State.

Mike Ryan (42:42)

Maybe if we get to the off season we can revisit it, which is why you get a player in Porzingis who has no further money going forward instead of maybe like Anthony Davis. Right. That's why you go for Porzingis in particular.

Stugotz (42:53)

Roy, they did it to me again. We have run out of time. It's been all trade deadline. I cannot talk about the two time defending champions winning last night in a win that Mike Ryan is claiming is a loss it is.

Zaslow (43:06)

You're wrong.

Dan LeBatard (43:06)

No, you got to win that in regulation.

Zaslow (43:08)

You got two point. Two points is the most.

Dan LeBatard (43:09)

But you gave up a point to Boston.

Zaslow (43:11)

All right, games left. Two points is what they needed. They got two points, they netted one. Boss is not the only team. They're, they're, they're chasing.

Dan LeBatard (43:21)

Yeah, they're chasing Buffalo as well.

Zaslow (43:23)

Yeah. So you get two points, they're chasing everybody.

Stugotz (43:25)

All right.

Zaslow (43:26)

Get two points.

Stugotz (43:27)

We don't have time to talk about it. The two time defending champions, because I'm playing whack a mole with these guys and the heat in about, I don't know, six hours. Going to trade for George Hill.

Mike Ryan (43:35)

I think it's pronounced Guacamole.